The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph, wear helmets, follow the rules of the road and remain silent during the ride. There are no sponsors and no registration fees. The ride, which is held during National Bike Month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for and honor the lives of those who have been killed or injured. See http://www.rideofsilence.org/ for more details.
Wednesday, May 16 at 7:00 PM. Motorcycle Escort provided by city and county police. Meet at the West Papio Trail Head, located at 3602 Raynor Parkway, Bellevue, NE, just north of Culver's Restaurant.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
CycleFest - Sunday, May 20 at Chalco Hills
The National Safety Council's CycleFest is this Sunday, May 20th from 11:00 – 3:00 at Chalco Hills Recreation area. Inside the Natural Resources Center will be the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) teaching riders “To See and Be Seen”; "Click it Don’t Risk It" teaching the importance of always wearing your seats belt with their egg ramp demonstration; Farmers Insurance is providing Child ID Kits; The Leukemia Lymphoma Society is recruiting for their important campaigns and Shuurin Dojo will be providing demos and information about dealing with bullies.
Outdoors US Foods will be providing grilled hot dogs, buns, condiments, chips, and waters. The Bike Way is bringing 300 helmets, and three children’s bike to be won by drawing. They will have their technicians helping those 15 and younger with bike safety checks. The GWRRA will also be outside helping with inflating tires and fitting helmets. A couple of A TEAMS from the Kohl’s Cares for Kids program will be fitting helmets along with a few others from NMHC. There will be free face painting for kids of all ages. Omaha Bikes instructors will be teaching about hand and arm signals and other ways to stay safe when riding. The bike and trike rodeo is being taught by the Sarpy County Sherriff’s Department and Omaha Police Department. Douglas CC will also be providing some volunteers.
In addition to the items to be given away by The Bike Way, the AAA Motor Club Foundation will give away a four “Ride N Slide” passes to Oceans and Worlds of Fun along with travelers checks to cover other costs of a mini vacation.
If you are a cyclist and have time to help with OmahaBikes's portion of this event, please contract Mark Siepker via this blog.
If you are a cyclist and have time to help with OmahaBikes's portion of this event, please contract Mark Siepker via this blog.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Catching Air on the Keystone
Earlier this week I was able to catch some big air while riding on the Keystone Trail just north of Blondo. It reminded me of the good old days building bike ramps when I was young. Of course I also wanted to be Evel Knievel when I was a kid. Boy those were good times, until I face planted on the street... making it less good.
Now I realize not everyone wants to catch big air while commuting to work on a bike, especially while pulling a youngster behind them in a trailer or hauling a load of groceries (including eggs). So for those folks we have prepared the information below.
Over the weekend, a section of the Keystone trail buckled and created a one foot heave in the cement (forming a perfect ramp that is a blast if you hit it at speed...). This is a fairly drastic buckle and it's steeper on the South side of the heave. If you use the Keystone and travel North of Blondo, please use caution. Also note that the North side of this buckle has a large hole on the West side that did not buckle upwards with the rest of the cement.
Here is a picture that doesn't do the height of this buckle justice:
Status of repair:
The City of Omaha's Park & Recreation Department (they handle trail repairs/maintenance) has been contacted. The buckle should be marked and blocked off today. Cement repairs should be made next week.
You may need to use the surface street East of the trail if it is not possible to get around the barricade. If you're going north, you can exit the trail just South of Blondo, take the sidewalk to Keystone Drive and follow Keystone Drive North to Maple Street where you can get back on the trail via the trail access just South of Maple. Reverse those instructions if you are heading south.
For future reference, you can report other Omaha trail issues to Denis Bryers at 402-444-3798 or email him at "DBryers {AT} ci.omaha.ne.us". Please provide the exact location of the trail issue and provide a picture if you can. Denis is a great guy and he will do the best job he can with the resources he has available. You can also find some other trail projects on the Parks & Recreation Trails page. They update this page from time to time with upcoming or current trail repairs.
Now I realize not everyone wants to catch big air while commuting to work on a bike, especially while pulling a youngster behind them in a trailer or hauling a load of groceries (including eggs). So for those folks we have prepared the information below.
Over the weekend, a section of the Keystone trail buckled and created a one foot heave in the cement (forming a perfect ramp that is a blast if you hit it at speed...). This is a fairly drastic buckle and it's steeper on the South side of the heave. If you use the Keystone and travel North of Blondo, please use caution. Also note that the North side of this buckle has a large hole on the West side that did not buckle upwards with the rest of the cement.
Here is a picture that doesn't do the height of this buckle justice:
Status of repair:
The City of Omaha's Park & Recreation Department (they handle trail repairs/maintenance) has been contacted. The buckle should be marked and blocked off today. Cement repairs should be made next week.
You may need to use the surface street East of the trail if it is not possible to get around the barricade. If you're going north, you can exit the trail just South of Blondo, take the sidewalk to Keystone Drive and follow Keystone Drive North to Maple Street where you can get back on the trail via the trail access just South of Maple. Reverse those instructions if you are heading south.
For future reference, you can report other Omaha trail issues to Denis Bryers at 402-444-3798 or email him at "DBryers {AT} ci.omaha.ne.us". Please provide the exact location of the trail issue and provide a picture if you can. Denis is a great guy and he will do the best job he can with the resources he has available. You can also find some other trail projects on the Parks & Recreation Trails page. They update this page from time to time with upcoming or current trail repairs.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Mayor's Bike Ride - May 11, 2012
The Annual Ride to Work with the Mayor will celebrate May as NATIONAL BIKE MONTH!!
Meet on Friday, May 11 at 8:00 AM at the Bob Kerrey Bridge. Presentations begin at 8:30 AM and Bike Rides with the Mayors begin at 9:00 AM.
Share this with your friends and co-workers.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 8, 5:30pm LOCATION CHANGE
The next Omaha Bikes meeting will be held next Tuesday, May 8, at 5:30pm as planned. However, the location of the meeting has changed. Instead of meeting at Godfather's Pizza in Aksarben Village, we'll be meeting at California Tacos & More at 33rd and California Street (click for map).
The location is changing to accommodate an e-bike touring group who will provide a brief presentation and the students from the Community Bike Project who will join us for that presentation at the start of our meeting. Omaha Bikes is also currently looking at venue options for future meetings.
Hope to see you there!
The location is changing to accommodate an e-bike touring group who will provide a brief presentation and the students from the Community Bike Project who will join us for that presentation at the start of our meeting. Omaha Bikes is also currently looking at venue options for future meetings.
Hope to see you there!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Transportation Element in front of Planning Board Wednesday
The Omaha Planning Board will vote to approve the Transportation Element (a.k.a Transportation Master Plan or "TMP") at its meeting this Wednesday, May 2, at 1:30 p.m. at the City/County Building, 1819 Farnam Street.
If you have a blast testing the Harney Street Cycle Track at the Hey Day on May 1, come tell the Planning Board why the TMP is a step in the right direction for Omaha and how you will benefit from the projects it prioritizes.
If you haven't looked at the plan, you can check it out on the City's website or come to Hey Day this Tuesday night and learn all about it!
If the Planning Board approves the plan, the next step will be for the City Council to consider the plan, likely in June.
If you have a blast testing the Harney Street Cycle Track at the Hey Day on May 1, come tell the Planning Board why the TMP is a step in the right direction for Omaha and how you will benefit from the projects it prioritizes.
If you haven't looked at the plan, you can check it out on the City's website or come to Hey Day this Tuesday night and learn all about it!
If the Planning Board approves the plan, the next step will be for the City Council to consider the plan, likely in June.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Heyday on May Day!
Join us 25th & Harney Streets - Tuesday, May 1st at 5:00 pm!!!
Do you want a glimpse of the future of transportation in Omaha? Hop on your bike, lace up your shoes, grab a seat on the bus or take your car, pick up a friend and join us for Heyday on May Day on May 1 from 5 p.m. until dark.
ModeShift Omaha, in conjunction with the City of Omaha Departments of Planning and Public Works, Park East Neighborhood Association, Market West Neighborhood Alliance and Greenstreet Foundation, are blocking off two lanes of Harney Street from 24th Avenue to 26th Street, for an open house highlighting options for Omaha's transportation future. At 6:30 p.m., we'll introduce a presentation of the Transportation Master Plan.
You'll want to get there early and stick around, the transportation "Heyday" will continue into the night with live music, art activities, food trucks, bike races, hula hooping and yoga demonstrations, games and open houses of local businesses.
Learn more at ModeShiftOmaha.org as we visualize the possibilities for transportation in Omaha.
Do you want a glimpse of the future of transportation in Omaha? Hop on your bike, lace up your shoes, grab a seat on the bus or take your car, pick up a friend and join us for Heyday on May Day on May 1 from 5 p.m. until dark.
ModeShift Omaha, in conjunction with the City of Omaha Departments of Planning and Public Works, Park East Neighborhood Association, Market West Neighborhood Alliance and Greenstreet Foundation, are blocking off two lanes of Harney Street from 24th Avenue to 26th Street, for an open house highlighting options for Omaha's transportation future. At 6:30 p.m., we'll introduce a presentation of the Transportation Master Plan.
You'll want to get there early and stick around, the transportation "Heyday" will continue into the night with live music, art activities, food trucks, bike races, hula hooping and yoga demonstrations, games and open houses of local businesses.
Learn more at ModeShiftOmaha.org as we visualize the possibilities for transportation in Omaha.
Friday, April 27, 2012
New 3-Foot Passing Law in Nebraska - LB1030
Nebraska has become the 24th state to enact a 3-foot passing law.
The law requires motorists to give at least 3 feet of space when passing cyclists, pedestrians, and those operating motorized wheelchairs on the road.
See the Segment on KETV featuring Julie Harris from Activate Omaha
http://www.ketv.com/news/local-news/Nebraska-law-aims-to-ensure-cyclist-driver-safety/-/9674510/11870024/-/item/0/-/15i9sw/-/index.html
Also found in the Nebraska Driver's Manual - Section 6: Sharing The Road With Other Users (6B Bicyclists) http://www.dmv.state.ne.us/examining/pdf/engdrivermanual.pdf
♦ A person riding a bicycle has all the same rights and responsibilities as a driver of a motor vehicle; bicyclists must obey traffic laws.
♦ Bicyclists may ride on paved shoulders, as far right in a lane as is practical and when the lane can be safely shared by a bicycle and car, side by side.
♦ Bicyclists are not restricted to the right lane of traffic. A bicyclist may need to change lanes to make left turns or to continue through an intersection. They follow the same path any other vehicle would take traveling in the same direction.
♦ Motorists should merge with bicycle traffic when preparing for a right hand turn. Avoid turning directly across a path of bicycle traveling in the same direction. When turning left at an intersection, yield to oncoming bicyclists just as you would to oncoming motorists.
♦ Do not blast a vehicle’s horn when approaching a bicyclist.
♦ Look for bicycles before opening car doors.
♦ Always allow three feet to the left of the bicycle when passing. Reduce speed and move into the next or oncoming lane to pass. If there is oncoming traffic, reduce speed and follow the bicycle until oncoming traffic clears.
♦ Children on bicycles are often unpredictable in their actions. A common crash type for young cyclists is mid-block ride-outs entering a road from a driveway, alley, or curb without slowing, stopping or looking for traffic.
♦ Look both ways at intersections before turning. Bicyclists may be found riding incorrectly, facing traffic and create special hazards at intersections.
♦ At intersections and roundabouts, right of way rules apply equally to bicyclists and motor vehicles.
The law requires motorists to give at least 3 feet of space when passing cyclists, pedestrians, and those operating motorized wheelchairs on the road.
See the Segment on KETV featuring Julie Harris from Activate Omaha
http://www.ketv.com/news/local-news/Nebraska-law-aims-to-ensure-cyclist-driver-safety/-/9674510/11870024/-/item/0/-/15i9sw/-/index.html
Also found in the Nebraska Driver's Manual - Section 6: Sharing The Road With Other Users (6B Bicyclists) http://www.dmv.state.ne.us/examining/pdf/engdrivermanual.pdf
♦ A person riding a bicycle has all the same rights and responsibilities as a driver of a motor vehicle; bicyclists must obey traffic laws.
♦ Bicyclists may ride on paved shoulders, as far right in a lane as is practical and when the lane can be safely shared by a bicycle and car, side by side.
♦ Bicyclists are not restricted to the right lane of traffic. A bicyclist may need to change lanes to make left turns or to continue through an intersection. They follow the same path any other vehicle would take traveling in the same direction.
♦ Motorists should merge with bicycle traffic when preparing for a right hand turn. Avoid turning directly across a path of bicycle traveling in the same direction. When turning left at an intersection, yield to oncoming bicyclists just as you would to oncoming motorists.
♦ Do not blast a vehicle’s horn when approaching a bicyclist.
♦ Look for bicycles before opening car doors.
♦ Always allow three feet to the left of the bicycle when passing. Reduce speed and move into the next or oncoming lane to pass. If there is oncoming traffic, reduce speed and follow the bicycle until oncoming traffic clears.
♦ Children on bicycles are often unpredictable in their actions. A common crash type for young cyclists is mid-block ride-outs entering a road from a driveway, alley, or curb without slowing, stopping or looking for traffic.
♦ Look both ways at intersections before turning. Bicyclists may be found riding incorrectly, facing traffic and create special hazards at intersections.
♦ At intersections and roundabouts, right of way rules apply equally to bicyclists and motor vehicles.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Combining your Biking and Beer
There are many ways to make a perfect summer night, but one of my all-time favorites is this:
Bike downtown just after the sun sets, when it’s still warm enough not to need a jacket. Go far enough (or fast enough) to work up a thirst, then find a restaurant or bar with patio seating for a meal or a drink (or both). Hang out, enjoy the evening, bike home, maybe take a detour so you’re extra worn out by the time you get there. Then sleep really, really well.
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